The next morning after Kagome arose and had her bath, she found Sesshomaru waiting for her in their shared room, an expectant look on his face.

"Mother has requested that you join her for your morning meal," he informed her, idly running a hand through his long silver hair. "She can be... Most determined. This one will accompany you to your meal."

Kagome wasn't surprised at his mother's plans but she was surprised that Sesshomaru was adamant in joining them for breakfast. She had the sneaking suspicion that his mother had been hoping to talk to Kagome alone.

"Okay, sure," she said easily, squaring her shoulders. His mother would find her no easier to push around than Kagome had been the day before. If his mother believed Kagome would be bullied into stepping aside from the marriage, she was about to learn differently.

Kagome didn't back down from anything.

He inclined his head slightly and then turned to lead her out of the room and towards the dining room where they would have their breakfast. The room itself was opulent but Kagome hardly paid attention to the surroundings because all she could focus on was the giant carcass of a snake yokai lying sprawled over the table, looking as though it had been just killed. It hadn't even been cooked, though it had been arranged in a delicate floral pattern that Kagome supposed was supposed to look intricate and pretty, but it only made her stomach roll.

She wanted to leave the room as soon as she saw it, but she saw the challenging look on his mother's face and stood her ground. She would not let his mother force her from the room.

"It's rather small, isn't it?" Kagome said, turning to Sesshomaru as he raised a brow in response.

"Oh?" Kagome looked back at his mother to see her lips twitching. "Should this one send her son off to slay another for your large appetite?"

"Oh, Sesshomaru is very generous in seeing to my needs," Kagome said with a dismissive wave of her hand. "It's hisappetite I'm worried about. You see, he offered up the last of his travel food for me—he's a wonderful provider—but I worry about him."

Sesshomaru snorted quietly next to her.

Kagome nudged him with her elbow in response.

"Hnn." His mother stared at Kagome as she stood to the table.

"Of course," Kagome continued as his mother opened her mouth to say something else, "Sesshomaru is far too honorable to eat his fill if it means that I would be deprived. But this time, I really have to insist, Sesshomaru, that you eat properly. I'll follow up with the servants to ensure our meals are appropriate for a daiyokai of your caliber going forward."

And by doing that, I'll ensure the food is appropriate for me, too. Kagome wanted to grin at her quick thinking.

She thought about batting her eyes for good measure but thought better of it.

There was a quiet look of pride on Sesshomaru's face as his mother huffed, outmaneuvered once again.

"Well, there's no time like the present." Kagome clapped her hands together. "I'll take care of this at once, Sesshomaru. After all, you haven't seen your mother in awhile I'll let you both catch up while I take care of this."

And with that, she grinned at both Sesshomaru and his mother and left the dining room—but not before she caught the quiet look of respect on his mother's face.

Sesshomaru found her later, relaxing in the garden. She'd taken care of the meal situation, ensuring that human food would join the food prepared for Sesshomaru and his mother, but after that, she hadn't bothered to return to the dining hall.

Her mind was still too conflicted and she couldn't get the look of pride on Sesshomaru's face out of her head.

Why had he sought her out for marriage in the first place? Was it really because of her own power?

"You did well, Kagome," he said as he approached her, repeating the same words he'd told her the day before and just like she had then, she heard the hint of pride in his voice.

She rose to face him, brushing off her priestess hakama. "Why do you want children, Sesshomaru? You never really seemed like you'd be interested before."

He stared at her for a moment, his expression contemplative. "Why do you seek children, Kagome?" he countered after a moment, neatly avoiding a direct answer.

She pressed her lips together, unamused. "I asked you first," she told him. Besides, she was fairly certain he'd overheard most, if not all, of her conversation with Sango the other day. She still felt a little emotionally bare after that, but there wasn't much she could do about.

But she would not open herself up to him more without the same in turn.

He was silent for so long that she'd almost given up on getting an answer out of him at all. "This one desires children," he said, pausing before he continued, "to share himself with. Without offspring, there is little reason to continue on the path this one has chosen. What purpose is there in titles and power if there is no one to share it with or pass it to?"

She heard the quiet pang in his voice and realized that Sesshomaru—though she doubted he'd ever dare say it aloud, was lonely. From what he didn't specifically say, she inferred that he wanted to build his own family, sought affection, but didn't know how to go about doing so.

Was that why he'd sought her out? She'd acquired quite the reputation for bonding with others and building a network of friends in this era. Had he seen that trait in her and desired to make it his own?

Her heart softened and she offered him a small smile. "I want children to love and share my life with. I want to watch them grow up and have families of their own and know that I left something of myself behind when I go. I have so much love to give them, Sesshomaru. My children would never want for anything."

"This one believes that you would make an exceptional mother," he offered after another moment of silence passed between them.

She gave him a crooked smile. "I hope I will be," she said lightly. "If I'm half the mother my own mom was, I think my own kids would turn out alright."

He offered her a small smile of his own. "If you are half the woman this one's mother believes you to me, this one is confident that they will."

She gaped at him. "Your mother? But she doesn't like me!"

He shrugged one shoulder as he moved to run idly his claws through a section of his hair. "She was testing you," he admitted to her, confirming a suspicion that had been brewing in the back of Kagome's mind since they'd arrived at his home. "She has high standards for the mate of her son."

Kagome stared. "And... I passed?"

He nodded his head, once. "She is most hopeful for twins," he said casually.

"Twins," Kagome repeated faintly.

He gave her another short nod.

"Do...do twins run in your family?" They didn't run in hers, but suddenly the idea of twins nearly brought her to her knees. She remembered how hard Sango and Miroku had had it with two twins and then they'd added another baby to the mix before their twins were even fully potty-trained.

"It has occurred before." He stepped closer to her, reaching out for her elbow to stay her when she would have drawn back. "You agreed to the marriage," he reminded her.

Kagome opened her mouth to protest that he'd manipulated her into it and then thought better of it. She had the feeling he was rather proud of that point so there was no reason to think that bringing it up would change his mind. "I did," she agreed faintly, resigning herself to the idea that this was going to be her future. She tried to picture what a family with Sesshomaru would be like.

To her surprise, the images that came to mind weren't unpleasant or awkward. She could see Sesshomaru's patience and the quiet way he'd shown affection from the way he'd interacted with Rin. He'd had the confidence and awareness to know that Kagome was capable of handling his mother without interference and had allowed her to do so.

She could picture him caring for their children, protecting them when needed, caring for them, but giving them the space to learn and grow. Sesshomaru, she realized, would be an amazing dad.

"We'd make a good pair," she added after a moment. "I think we balance each other well."

"Hnn." His hand fell away from her elbow as an odd look entered his eye.

"And," she continued bravely, "I think our kids would probably turn out okay." Kagome immediately lost herself in the mental picture of fluffy-eared babies snuggled up in her arms and suddenly her arms ached to hold them. "I want them," she whispered faintly.

A tinge of red entered his gaze and before she knew it, he'd reached out and pulled her to him and, as she blinked, they were suddenly in his room. "Then you shall have them," he promised her, his voice dropping to a low rumble that did things to her that no man's voice should ever do.

She trembled as he pulled her close, anticipating the kiss she knew was coming.

When his lips finally touched hers, Kagome decided that there was nothing else she wanted more than the quiet affection and support of the male holding her in his arms.